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Election of 1800
This election was a significant one, as the leading political parties were switched. Coming from England, where there was much violence in the changing of powers, the Americans were understandably concerned. -
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Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was after the First Great Awakening. This led to the ideas that men are more equal, and anyone could be saved. The awakening also led to a move from the church building, as many revival meetings were held outdoors. -
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Transportation Revolution
Infrastructure was greatly increased through improved roads, more canals, the invention of the Steamboat, and the Railroad -
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Westward Expansion
Americans, because of the Manifest Destiny, and also their greed, pushed ever further west. First of all, this practice rendered the Indians homeless, resulting in the Trail of Tears for the Cherokee. Second, westward expansion exacerbated tensions between North and South, as new territories called for statehood. -
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The War of 1812
The Americans became embroiled in yet another war with the British, because the British continued the practice of impressment, and would not treat America as an equal. The War was ended with the treaty of Ghent, America establishing herself as a nation. -
The Missouri Compromise
Henry Clay, and Jesse Thomas provided a compromise to keep the peace between the North and South when Missouri desired to become a state. There were three parts: 1. Missouri would become a slave state, 2. Maine would enter as a free state, and 3. new territory would be divided between slave and free along the 36 degree, 30' latitude line. -
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Rise of Urbanization and Consumerism
As factories grew, cities exploded, allowing classes of Americans to not have to live off of subsistence farming, but to be able to buy manufactured goods and live in city. -
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Immigration
Over 5 million immigrants arrived in the United States. These fueled the economy and created a massive influx of unskilled workers. This also led to tensions between the working class and new immigrants, and also tensions along religious lines. -
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Abolition/women's rights
These people were tying to abolish slavery. Some of the big figures in this movement were Frederick Douglass, William Garrison, and others. Women, in their suffrage movements, found that abolition would be the pathway to freedom, so they threw their weight into this cause. -
The Monroe Doctrine
James Monroe declared North and South America to be free from British and European interference. -
Unions
The working class in the industrial North was often deprived of rights and worked very hard. The first union was formed bu Journeymen in Boston. This was to protect their rights and allow them to live better. -
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King Cotton
Cotton became a massive cash crop. Slavery also boomed, as slaves were needed to produce cotton. These two evolved into a symbiotic relationship, one fueling the other -
Textiles
The Northern textile mills created a large market for Southern cotton -
Nullification Crisis
South Carolina, fighting back against the Tariff of 1828, stated that they were "null, void, and no law". Andrew Jackson, the president at that time, passed the Force Bill, allowing himself to invade South Carolina. Henry Clay created a compromise however, and the tariffs were slowly reduced. -
Panic of 1837
As paper money skyrocketed, investments rose in amount and riskiness. As the economy plummeted, people panicked, trying to exchange their paper money for hard currency. As the banks ran out of money, the panic spread, and the resulting depression lasted for years afterwards -
Manifest Destiny
The American People believed they had the right to conquer and settle all territory because of their strong American values, the land was destined for American improvement, and God and the Constitution called for America to democratize the world. -
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Mexican American War
Mexico fought America over a small strip of land on the southern border of Texas that was 150 miles wide. The war became the training ground for many of the Civil War's generals, and also provided a lot of new territory for the United States. The war was ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo -
Gold!
James Marshall found gold at Sutter's sawmill in California. The resulting gold rush brought many people to California -
Compromise of 1850
New fugitive slave law for the North, New Mexico and Utah can determine to be slave or free based on popular vote, states could bring fugitive slave cases directly to the Supreme Court, California would become a free state, and the slave trade would be banned from Washington D.C.. however, this compromise did not help much at all. -
Dredd Scott
Chief Justice Roger Taney determined that Dredd Scott, a slave, could not sue the United States. This showed that the current people in power would try to extend slavery everywhere -
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, of the republican party, became president and the South immediately began secession proceedings. -
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The Civil War
In the beginning, the North simply desired to maintain control of federal lands in the south, and reunite the Union. However, in 1863, the war turned to try to emancipate slavery entirely. The Union's tactics also changed, from normal war to a 'hard war'. With the 'hard war', the Union attempted to demoralize the South and destroy its economy. One significant battle was the battle of Hampton Roads, in which the Merrimack and the Monitor fought it out and changed the future of the navy. -
13th Amendment
Slavery is now abolished by the government. -
Lincoln's Assassination
John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the head at Ford's Theater. Lincoln died shortly afterward, which made Andrew Johnson president. -
Fourteenth Amendment
This allowed all to become citizens of the United States, and legally gave them all equal rights -
Depression of 1873
This Depression sidetracked most of the attention off of reconstruction, and brought an end to the process